I slipped a simple pantry swap into my Chocolate Truffle Cookies, and the reason I did it will surprise you.

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I never planned to write about these Salted Dark Chocolate Truffle Cookies but here we are. I played with unsalted butter and a mountain of dark chocolate chips until something dangerously good happened.

They read like Chocolate Truffle Cookies on paper yet act like their more selfish cousin in real life, gooey center and all. People call them Gourmet Cookies and yeah maybe thats true, though they are messy not precious, the kind you defend with a napkin.

They make you talk too loud, try to pretend you only want one, then go back for another, and thats ok.

Ingredients

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Unsalted butter: Adds rich fat and mouthfeel, mostly saturated fat, little protein, builds cookie structure
Dark brown sugar: Heavy on sucrose and molasses, gives moisture, chew, and deep caramel notes
Granulated sugar: Pure carbs, adds sweetness and crisp edges, no fiber or protein at all
Cocoa powder: Unsweetened Dutch cocoa offers antioxidants and fiber, bitter chocolate flavor, low sugar
Dark chocolate for ganache: Rich in flavanols, adds intense chocolate with some sugar and fat, silky ganache
Heavy cream for ganache: High fat dairy, makes smooth ganache, adds calories and luxurious mouthfeel, little protein
Flaky sea salt: Almost no nutrients but balances sweetness, enhances chocolate, small mineral trace
All purpose flour: Mostly starch with some protein for gluten, gives structure and chew to cookies

Ingredient Quantities

1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter softened

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

1 cup (220 g) packed dark brown sugar

2 large eggs room temp

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups (220 g) all purpose flour

1 cup (85 g) unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

4 ounces (115 g) dark chocolate chips or chopped for the cookie dough

8 ounces (225 g) high quality dark chocolate chopped for the truffle ganache

1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream for the ganache

2 tablespoons unsalted butter room temp for the ganache

Flaky sea salt for sprinkling about 1/2 teaspoon

How to Make this

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1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat and set aside.

2. In a large bowl cream 1 cup softened unsalted butter with 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup packed dark brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes, scraping the bowl once or twice. Add 2 large eggs one at a time, then stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla.

3. Whisk together 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour, 1 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt. Gradually add the dry mix to the wet and mix just until combined. Fold in 4 ounces dark chocolate chips or chopped pieces.

4. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes in the fridge, longer if you have time, this helps the cookies keep a thick fudgy center and not spread out too much.

5. Scoop dough into balls about 2 tablespoons each using an ice cream scoop or spoon, place on the prepared sheets spaced about 2 inches apart. You can slightly flatten each ball so they bake more evenly but dont press a deep well yet.

6. Bake 9 to 11 minutes until edges are set and tops look a bit cracked but centers still soft. Dont overbake or they will lose that gooey center. Let cookies cool on the sheet 5 to 8 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

7. While cookies bake or cool make the truffle ganache: chop 8 ounces high quality dark chocolate fine. Heat 1/2 cup heavy cream just to simmer, pour over the chopped chocolate, wait 60 seconds then stir until smooth. Stir in 2 tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter until glossy. Let the ganache cool and thicken until pipeable, about 30 to 45 minutes at room temp or 15 to 20 in the fridge, stir occasionally.

8. Make a shallow well in each cooled cookie if needed using the back of a spoon or your thumb. Spoon or pipe the ganache into each well or dollop on one cookie and sandwich with another if you prefer. Chill briefly until set about 15 to 30 minutes.

9. Sprinkle flaky sea salt over the filled cookies, total about 1/2 teaspoon across the batch, a small pinch per cookie is perfect. Store in an airtight container at room temp up to 3 days or refrigerate for a firmer ganache.

10. Quick tips: dont overmix the dough, chilling it is worth it, use good dark chocolate for the ganache or it will taste flat, warm a cookie for 8 to 10 seconds in the microwave for that melty center if you like it gooey.

Equipment Needed

1. Baking sheets (2) lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats
2. Large mixing bowl (plus a medium bowl if you like to keep wet and dry separate)
3. Electric hand mixer or stand mixer, or a sturdy whisk if you dont have one
4. Measuring cups and spoons (for dry and wet ingredients)
5. Rubber spatula and a wooden spoon for folding and scraping the bowl
6. Whisk or fine-mesh sieve for blending the flour and cocoa so no lumps remain
7. 2-tablespoon ice cream scoop or a tablespoon and a steady hand to portion dough
8. Saucepan and heatproof bowl for the ganache (or a microwave-safe bowl)
9. Chef’s knife and cutting board to chop the chocolate and any bits
10. Wire cooling rack plus a piping bag or small spoon to fill the cookie wells, and the fridge for chilling the dough/ganache

FAQ

Can I make the dough ahead of time? Yes. You can chill the dough in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. If freezing, scoop dough balls, freeze on a tray until firm, then move them to a bag so they dont stick together.

How do I assemble the truffle center so it doesnt melt out? Make the ganache by heating the cream until it just simmers, pour it over the chopped dark chocolate and the 2 tablespoons butter, let sit a minute then stir until silky. Chill the ganache until firm enough to scoop into small balls, freeze those briefly, then wrap each frozen truffle ball in a scoop of dough before baking.

What oven temp and bake time should I use? Bake at 350 F 175 C for about 10 to 12 minutes. The edges should look set and the centers still a bit soft. They continue to firm as they cool, so dont overbake.

How do I keep the cookies soft and fudgy? Use room temperature butter and eggs, dont overmix, and dont overbake. Brown sugar adds chew, chilling the dough helps the cookies not spread too much, and pull them when centers still seem slightly underdone.

Can I substitute the chocolate or make this dairy free? Yes. You can use semisweet or milk chocolate if you want sweeter cookies but the flavor will change. For dairy free, swap the heavy cream and butter in the ganache for full fat coconut cream and use dairy free chocolate, though texture may vary.

How should I store and reheat them? Store in an airtight container at room temp up to 3 days or in the fridge up to 5 days because of the ganache. Freeze baked cookies or frozen dough for up to 2 months. To soften the ganache, warm a cookie for 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave or pop it in a 300 F oven for a few minutes.

Salted Dark Chocolate Truffle Cookies. Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Unsalted butter (1 cup / 226 g): use salted butter (same weight) and cut the recipe salt by about 1/4 teaspoon; or for a dairy free option use solid coconut oil (measure by weight), note cookies may spread a bit more and taste coconutty.
All purpose flour (1 3/4 cups / 220 g): swap for a 1-to-1 gluten free flour blend by weight (add 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum if the blend has none); or use whole wheat pastry flour same weight for a nuttier, slightly denser cookie.
Eggs (2 large): for each egg replace with 1/4 cup (60 g) applesauce or mashed banana (cookies will be a touch cakier), or use a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoons water per egg, let sit 10 minutes) for a vegan binder.
Heavy cream for ganache (1/2 cup / 120 ml): swap with full fat coconut milk (same volume, chill and use the thick solids for best texture) for dairy free ganache; or use high quality evaporated milk for a lighter, less rich ganache.

Pro Tips

– Chill the scooped dough longer than you think, like overnight if you can. It keeps the cookies thick and fudgy, and if you chill on the sheet they hold shape better when they hit the oven.

– Use a sharp knife to chop the chocolate for the ganache super fine, heat the cream just to simmer, pour over the chocolate, wait a full minute then stir slowly. This makes a glossy, lump free ganache that thickens predictably so piping or spooning is easy.

– Don’t rely on bake time alone, watch the edges not the clock. Pull them when the edges are set and the centers still look soft and slightly cracked, they set while resting on the sheet.

– Sprinkle the flaky sea salt while the ganache is still tacky so the flakes stick, but not while it is wet or they’ll dissolve. A tiny pinch per cookie is all you need to make the chocolate pop.

– Weigh the cocoa and flour and sift the cocoa into the dry mix to avoid clumps, and use good quality dark chocolate for the ganache. Cheap chocolate will make the filling taste flat so dont skimp here.

Salted Dark Chocolate Truffle Cookies. Recipe

Recipe by Tina Bueller

0.0 from 0 votes

I slipped a simple pantry swap into my Chocolate Truffle Cookies, and the reason I did it will surprise you.

Servings

servings

Calories

285

kcal

Equipment: 1. Baking sheets (2) lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats
2. Large mixing bowl (plus a medium bowl if you like to keep wet and dry separate)
3. Electric hand mixer or stand mixer, or a sturdy whisk if you dont have one
4. Measuring cups and spoons (for dry and wet ingredients)
5. Rubber spatula and a wooden spoon for folding and scraping the bowl
6. Whisk or fine-mesh sieve for blending the flour and cocoa so no lumps remain
7. 2-tablespoon ice cream scoop or a tablespoon and a steady hand to portion dough
8. Saucepan and heatproof bowl for the ganache (or a microwave-safe bowl)
9. Chef’s knife and cutting board to chop the chocolate and any bits
10. Wire cooling rack plus a piping bag or small spoon to fill the cookie wells, and the fridge for chilling the dough/ganache

Ingredients

1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter softened
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (220 g) packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs room temp
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups (220 g) all purpose flour
1 cup (85 g) unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 ounces (115 g) dark chocolate chips or chopped for the cookie dough
8 ounces (225 g) high quality dark chocolate chopped for the truffle ganache
1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream for the ganache
2 tablespoons unsalted butter room temp for the ganache
Flaky sea salt for sprinkling about 1/2 teaspoon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat and set aside.
In a large bowl cream 1 cup softened unsalted butter with 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup packed dark brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes, scraping the bowl once or twice. Add 2 large eggs one at a time, then stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla.
Whisk together 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour, 1 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt. Gradually add the dry mix to the wet and mix just until combined. Fold in 4 ounces dark chocolate chips or chopped pieces.
Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes in the fridge, longer if you have time, this helps the cookies keep a thick fudgy center and not spread out too much.
Scoop dough into balls about 2 tablespoons each using an ice cream scoop or spoon, place on the prepared sheets spaced about 2 inches apart. You can slightly flatten each ball so they bake more evenly but dont press a deep well yet.
Bake 9 to 11 minutes until edges are set and tops look a bit cracked but centers still soft. Dont overbake or they will lose that gooey center. Let cookies cool on the sheet 5 to 8 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
While cookies bake or cool make the truffle ganache: chop 8 ounces high quality dark chocolate fine. Heat 1/2 cup heavy cream just to simmer, pour over the chopped chocolate, wait 60 seconds then stir until smooth. Stir in 2 tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter until glossy. Let the ganache cool and thicken until pipeable, about 30 to 45 minutes at room temp or 15 to 20 in the fridge, stir occasionally.
Make a shallow well in each cooled cookie if needed using the back of a spoon or your thumb. Spoon or pipe the ganache into each well or dollop on one cookie and sandwich with another if you prefer. Chill briefly until set about 15 to 30 minutes.
Sprinkle flaky sea salt over the filled cookies, total about 1/2 teaspoon across the batch, a small pinch per cookie is perfect. Store in an airtight container at room temp up to 3 days or refrigerate for a firmer ganache.
Quick tips: dont overmix the dough, chilling it is worth it, use good dark chocolate for the ganache or it will taste flat, warm a cookie for 8 to 10 seconds in the microwave for that melty center if you like it gooey.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.